This invention relates to a printed matter in which an image hidden under a print surface is very difficult to confirm in the state before the image appears, and in which the image appears by scratching the print surface with a coin or medal or by applying pressure from above.
Heretofore, for example as proposed in Examined Japanese patent publication 6-78039, there is known a printed matter in which an image such as a picture or a numeral is printed, with an ink composition containing a material having a greater hardness than that of a metal of a coin, onto a print substrate, and in which by scratching the printed part of the image from above, the image appears.
There is also known a printed matter in which on the image, a print layer is superposed by full-space solid printing, screen solid printing or over-print varnish printing, or a masking layer using silver ink is printed on the image to make the image invisible in such a manner that the print layer or the masking layer can be peeled off to let the image appear.
For the first printed matter as described above, there is a problem in that a difference in glitter is produced between the print substrate and the printed surface on which an image is printed with an ink composition, so that by changing the looking angle, even in the state before the printed surface is scratched, the image printed on the print substrate can be confirmed, or the image can be seen if light is shed thereon.
Also, the latter printed matter has some image masking effect, but if the masking layer is by mono-color solid printing, only a simple printed matter can be made.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a printed matter in which human visual recognition characteristics are used effectively, and when in the state before the image appears, it is difficult to confirm the image due to optical illusion, and still, the image cannot be seen even if light is shed thereon. The printed matter is complicated in color and pattern, and a brilliant image appears by scratching the printed surface with a coin or by applying pressure from above.
According to this invention, there is provided a printed matter wherein an image is printed on a substrate with an ink composition, and further wherein a print layer having a contrast with respect to the substrate is printed on the substrate to induce optical illusion relative to the image utilizing visual recognition characteristics.
Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: